The mayors of Portland, Oregon, and five other major US cities appealed Monday to Congress to make it illegal for the federal government to deploy militarised agents to cities that don’t want them.
“This administration’s egregious use of federal force on cities over the objections of local authorities should never happen,” the mayors of Portland; Seattle; Chicago; Kansas City; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Washington wrote to leaders of the US House and Senate.
Video from early Tuesday showed law enforcement officers filling a street with gas to disperse protesters. Several loud booms could be heard.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty late called for a meeting with Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf to discuss a cease-fire and removal of heightened federal forces from Portland. Earlier in the day, a US official said militarised officers would remain in Portland until attacks on a federal courthouse cease — and more officers may soon be on the way.
“It is not a solution to tell federal officers to leave when there continues to be attacks on federal property and personnel,” US Attorney Billy Williams said.